Piano-forte



(No Model.)

W. ROHLFING, Jr.

PIANO FORTE Patented Apr M.

i f B UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM ROIILFING, J R, OF MILXVAUKEE, XVISCONSIN.

PIANO-FORTE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,588, dated April12, 1892.

Application filed December 12, 1891, gerial No. 414,791. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM ROHLFING, Jr., of Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Piano-Fortes, of which the following is adescription,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which area part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in piano-fortes, and moreparticularly to that portion thereof known as the skeleton or body.

It consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, ashereinafter more fully set forth and described.

111 the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a vertical section of an upright piano, taken on a planeindicated bythe line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section atright angles to Fig. 1 on the line 2 2 of said figure; and Fig. 3 is anend elevation with a portion of the woodwork in section, showing aslight modification in order to adapt the invention to square and grandpianos.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the letter A indicates thecase of a pianoforte,B B the side pieces of the keyboard, and O O thelower horizontal base-pieces, all of which, being of the ordinary andusual construction, require no extensive description.

My improved framing consists of outer and inner plates 1) and E,respect-holy, having interposed therebetween a sounding-board F. Frame Dcorresponds to those used for pianofortes in general, while frame E isintended to take the place of the wood skeleton used in piano-fortes oftoday.

In many of the common forms of construction various parts of the caseare secured to the skeleton or body by glue or analogous adhesivematerial. This is not only faulty in failing to provide against thesecure and firm retention of the skeleton or body,but furthermoreprecludes the possibility of removing the same, which is often foundquite desirable in practice. My construction, however, enables apurchaser to make his selection in accordance with his preferences, bothas to tone as well as the general style of the wood-work composing thecase of the instrument. In the styles of pianos just referred to it hasbeen found impossible to select with this in view owing to the fact thatparts of the case were glued permanently to the skeleton or body. Itfollowed, therefore, that if the appearance of an instrument, asdisclosed by the style or quality of wood-work, pleased a prospectivepurchaser, but at the same time dissatisfaction was expressed with itstone, difficulty was experienced in providing against this contin gency.In my improved construction, however, the parts of the case are fastenedto the skeleton or body by means of screws or bolts passing throughangular lugs or projections (Z and e, extending from the trainings andenterin the wood-work of the case, thereby providing for the readyremoval of the skeleton or body from one case to another. As the innerframe is located in close proximity to the back of the case, the lugsthereof are of course necessarily somewhat shorter than those of theouter frame. It will be noticed that two of the lugs d d at oppositeends of this outer frame are widened somewhat, so as to secure a broadbearing-surface against the side pieces B B of the keyboard, while thetop and bottom of said side pieces have secured thereto lugs d (1Similar lugs (Z d and d d' extend from the lower portion of the frame D,but in this instance are secured to the lower outstanding basepieces O 0upon the sides and tops thereof. It is apparent that the framings arethus attached most securely in position with but the slightest danger ofbecoming loose, while at the same time they may be readily removed andreplaced by others. It is of course obvious that instead of making aseries of lugs, as above described, one continuous flange may beemployed without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. Theconstruction shown, however, is preferable, inasmuch as the same resultsin a saving both in material and weight.

The sounding-board has projecting therefrom a bridge G, and also bridgesH, H, and I. The bridges pass through appropriate slots therefor in theframing and are glued directly to the sounding-board. In the usual makesor styles of pianos the bridge corresponding to bridge If is glued tothe wrest-plank or cast onto the metal frame, which in practice has beenfound to be a disadvantage, inasmuch as the rib has a tendency to causea metallic sound.. In order to overcome this and produce a superiorquality of tone, I have devised the construction above described, andclearly shown in the drawings, whereby that part of the string J whichis struck by the piano-hammer is allowed to vibrate between twosounding-board bridges, both of which are glued directly to saidsounding-board. The sounding-board is supported in position by means oftwo blocks K K, interposed between the framings and receiving-screws L.

Fig. 3 illustrates the manner in which the skeleton orbody is secured inplace in a square or grand piano. As will be readily seen, this onlynecessitates such a slight change as would suggest itself to anymechanic skilled in the art. In fact, my invention is equally applicableto all forms and styles of piano-fortes, grand, upright, and square.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a piano-forte, the combination, with a casing, of a frameconsisting of outer and inner plates provided with lugs projectinglaterally therefrom and adapted to be secured to the casing by screws,substantially as set forth.

2. In a piano-forte, the combination, with the case thereof, of aframing having a series of lugs or projections for attachment to saidbody, lugs engaging the side, top, and bottom of the side pieces of thekeyboard, and lugs engaging the side and top of the supportingbase-pieces, substantially as set forth.

3/ In a piano-forte, the combination of a frame, a soundingboard,bridges secured thereto and passing through slots in the framing, a setof strings having their opposite ends secured to the portions of two ofthe bridges projecting from opposite ends of the sounding-board, andanother set of strings having their opposite ends secured to theportions of the other bridges projecting from opposite ends of thesounding-board, the parts of the strings which are struck by the hammerallowed to vibrate between the bridges to which they are secured,substantially as set forth.

4. In a piano-forte, the combination of inner and outer framings,asounding-board interposed therebetween, and blocks at the edges and onopposite sides of thesoundingboard to receive screws, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof Iaiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ROHLFING, J it.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. MoRsELL, O. H. KEENEY.

